The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1887-05-18
NEW YORK THEATRES.
Scarcity of Leading Men--S200 a
Week Goes Begging.

1 ana ne c0uidnC ma one. Whyf Not be
cause there was an unprecedented lack of
unemployed Thespian talent. as you may
imagine, but simply because about every
actor qualified by experience and study to
play principal character was either starring,
about to star and bound to preliminary her
mitage by iron-ciad contracts, or DESTROYS Of
being starred.
agreed with Manager John Wesley
Rosenguest that this was sad state of affairs.
He had tried handsome Robert b. Mantell.
That capable actor had read the proposed
play, had liked it, and-yes, he would appear
lit if his manager could have it on the
road next season. That wasn't in accord
ance with Rosenguest's plans, so Mantell
was out of the question. Where turn NEXT
How many young actors are there in this
country, do you suppose who are able to
| play hero in strong piece, and make hit
in the bargain?" l inquired of Allston
Brown, the dramatic agent, and he agreed with
me that there were not more than twenty. OF
that twenty, ten are stars, and five more want
to be. The situation was gloomy for Rosen-
guest. When / saw him last his $500 week
was a-begging. Yet the Rialto was never
more densely peopled than it is to-day. Com
edians without number, heavy villains
galore, walking gentlemen in plenty and no
end Of agents and business managers fill
/ Union Square and seek market for their
services. Here are two evils of the combina-
| ton system not foreseen dozen years ago.
! If the interstate commerce law shall accom-
plish no other benefit it will, at whatevercost
of suffering, drive from the theatrical ranks
the same share of its mediocre talent
In the last days of city season that has
been of fair profit there are few events
worthy gilmore than passing attention. The
managerial reciprocity INDUCED in by Au-
gustin DAILY and Lester Wallack deserves con-
sideration. To the mass of play-goers who
had learned to regard DAILY and Wallack as
rivals and consequent enemies theannounce-
ment that the Wallack stock would occupy
Days Theatre during few weeks of the
absence of the DAILY players was matter of
surprise and speculation People who have
followed the play-houses here were not at all
astounded, however. Three years ago i used
to see DAILY putting the standing Room
Only sign out at his door whenever Theo-
dore Moss would exhibit the same placard
for Wallack's, just across the way. Not in
| frequently it happened that neither house
was full to the extent indicated by the ex-
terror signs. But the days of bluff have
gone by for DAILY. He does not need to make
them. As nearly as can guess, he hasn't
had real poor audience in his theatre in two
| years. He can truly afford TO do the magnani-
nous with Wallack, whose latter seasons
have been Swallowed by almost uninterrupted
failures; only when the veteran manager
! himself has come upon his boards has money
in plenty gone into his box-office. IL will be
useless to seek the reasons for this change in
his fortunes. It is enough to know the truth,
and to record it fearlessly. Everybody hopes
something may come of the negotiations be-
tween Abbey and Wallack.
Three excellent performances of light opera
hold our stages. All are staged with lavish
ness, sung with spirit and acted with the
proper fire. 'Erminie' at the Casino has
passed its 3s0th performance by the one
company, and is yet making money. "a
Trip to Africa is doing fairly well for the
Duff Company, at the Standard But THE
Gypsy Baron is fast losing money for
Conreid Il Herman's Company, who have
gone into Harrigan's Pars. I asfsfdg sg,sss ~
Harrigan's stock went out ON the road,
| Strange how little one can tell of the future
of theatricals here! The Conreid troupe is
one of the best / have listened to in several
seasons; its choruses of pretty girls are UNI
commonly large; its brass band is hand
somely equipped; all its scenery is pictur-
esque, and its costumes are historically accu-
rate. The theatre in which tits singing had all
along held crowded audiences to see Harri-
gan's local dramas, yet the opera troupe
draws nothing. Is the riddle worth puzzling
over? Solve it If you can. Nobody here
will try.
James 0'Neil has this week been packing
Harry Miners Peoples Theatre on the Bow
cry. This is his fourth year with Monte
Cristo y on his own hook he has starred it
only two; before that he was partner with
John Stetson. ! suppose 0'Neil is able to
retire and enjoy life so wealthy has Edmund
Dantas made him. They tell me he cleared
nearly $4,000 in one season, and can well
believe it, for reports from the provinces con-
stantly told of his big houses. His is some
what prosaic history. He was born in Ireland
in 1S49 and came to America boy. Twenty
years ago he began his professional career as
the perfunctory sentinel in "Mazeppa" at the
National Theatre, Cincinnati, He went ahead
rapidly, and in ten years he was considered
good leading man. Personally he is genial
fellow and a good deal of a domestic man. In
1877, believe, he married Ellen Quinlan, a
Chicago girl, and their welded life has been
entirely happy.
Lawrence Barrett has given us view of
his Compromised "Rienzi, the Last of the
Tribunes," and its spectacular effectiveness
has carried it to success. The critics have
found all manner of just fault with Miss
Mitford's unsympathetic hero, and not
few of them have had an excellent occasion
to lecture Barrett upon his evolutionary
| weakness and his mannerisms. But nobody
has failed to pay tribute to the intelligence
that has marked the revival and for which
Barrett alone is TO be commended. The stage
is constantly filed with picturesque masses
of people; the scenery is new and good; the
dresses are unusually handsome; and the
musical features of the tragedy are not ne
elected The theatre has been crowded at al
most every performance, and have no
doubt Barrett will close his season here with
handsome sum to the fore. Mckee Rankin
will Follow him at Niblo's in ''The Golden
Giant" which made hit at the Fifth ave-
nue. month or so ago, and should never
have been taken from the stage Of that
theatre while it was doing 50 well. At Niblo's
it cannot possibly remain much longer than
fortnight.
John McCaulps opera singers have started
ON their summer season at Wallack's with
the familiar BLACK Hussar,p which will be
taken off after next week to give place to an
other fayorite work. By frequent changes
Of bill and casts and with the aid of new